Lighting unit



Dec. 22, 1931. J. A. ONEIL. 1,837,989

LIGHTING UNIT Filed Oct. 19, 1929 Inventor:

James RONaH.

00% H is Attorney.

Patented Dec. 22, 1931 fairs STATES PATENT orsiee JAMES A. ONEIL, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COM- 7 PANY, A CORPORATIGN OF NEW YORK LIGHTING UNIT Application filed Gotdber 19, 1929. Serial No. 408,967.

My invention relates to lighting units of the type especially adapted for highway lighting.

Heretofore it has been common practice to use different sizes of supports for the light source and its socket in the different sizes of units. It is common practice also to provide such units each with a globe and a canopy therefor. Each different size of unit has required a casing of corresponding size to support the globe. Alsoeach different size of unit has required a clamping element of corresponding size for holding or clamping a globe and the canopy. It is also common practice in such units to provide refractor elements within the globe and each different size of unit has required a refractor support of corresponding size.

Therefore, it has been necessary to carry in stock casings of different sizes, clamping means for the canopy of different sizes, supports for the refractor and for the lamp of different'sizes. It is an object of'the invention to provide a single supporting structure or device for all thedifferent sizes of units, comprising an adjustable holder for the canopy and its globe, an adjustable support for the refractor and an adjustable support for the lamp and its socket means. It is" also an object to provide a base adapted to receive globes of different sizes and to provide means for securing the single device to said base.

The invention is more fully described in the following specification andclaims, reference beinq had. to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a highway lighting unit having the features of the invention. In this figure the unit is shown in elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, in order that the various details may be more clearly seen. Fig. 2 shows the supporting structure comprising the adjustable means for the lamp, for the refractor and for the canopy and its globe. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged section of the supporting structure of Fig. showing means whereby the refractor support may be readily separated from the other elements of the structure and as readily restored thereto.

Referring more in detail to the drawings,-

the base of the unit, Fig. 1, comprises a casing 2 and a support 3 therefor. In the particular modification of the unit shown the casing is secured to its support by a suitable means such as screws 4,93Ch of which engages a corresponding arm 5, all of which arms project down from the casing to which they are secured. in any suitable manner. For

example, they may be riveted or welded thereto. The base, asshown, supports the globe 6. In order that it may receive and support globes of different sizes the base is provided with a series of ledges such as the ledges 7,

8 and 9, on one of which, namely the ledge 8,

a globe 6 rests. A smaller size of globe would rest on'the ledge 7, while a larger size of globe would rest on the ledge 9. Within the globe 6, Fig. 1, there is located the usual lamp 10, such as an incandescent lamp. This understood. The block 14 is secured to a bracket 15 in any suitable manner, such as, for example, by means of screws located in the holes 16. The support for the bracket 15 comprises. in the form shown. a quadrangular element 17 secured to a-U-shaped bracket 7 element 18. the terminals of which latter are secured to a collar 19 which forms a part of the base 2. any suitable manner, such as, for example. by means of bolts 20, one on each side of the bracket. 7 7 side of the bracket and only one of the terminals thereof is shown. but both sides are the same. The quadrangular element 1'? is provided with'a pair of parallel bars 21. These bars are separated as shown to form a slot th rough which a screw projects. The head of the screw forms a" bracket element 23 that spans the bars 91. The body of the screw passes through a hole in the bracket 15 for the purpose of clamping the bracket 15 in any position along the bars 21. The screw 22' In Fig. 2 only one is provided with a thumb nut 24 between which and the bars 21 the bracket 15 is clamped. In orderto adjust the bracket 15, and therefore sockets 11 and 14, the nut 24 is loosened so that the bracket may be slid up or down along the bars.

Secured to the upper end of the quadrangular element 17 is an arm which in turn supports a tube 26. This tube receives a hollow rod 27 provided with an adjustable collar 28, which latter may be clamped to the rod in any position by means of a screw 29. The upper end of the tube 26 is provided with a thumb screw 30 which is used for clamping the rod 27 in any desired position; The upper end of tube 26 is provided with a collar having a V-shaped notch and collar 28 is provided with a corresponding V-shaped tooth. In the drawings only one notch and one tooth are shown, but a similar notchon the rod 26 and a similar tooth on the collar 28 are provided preferably on the opposite sides respectively of the rod 26 and of the collar 28, that is, 180 from the notch-and groove shown. By this arrangement the retract-or and its supporting means as hereinafter described may be readily set in either of the two positions 180 apart, namely, in the operating position shown in Fig. 2 and in the trimming position 180 therefrom. The rod 27 supports a rod 29 whichlatter is adapted to slide in the rod 27 and may be secured in any adjusted position by means of the set screw 30.

' The upper arm of the rod 29 is, as shown in 1, in the axis of the unit. The lower arm is parallel to the upper arm but is located to one side of the axis of the unit. These two arms are connected by a cross arm on opposite sides of the axis of which the upper and the lower arms are located. The upper arm islonger than the lower arm. The rod29 is reversible with respect to the rod 27, that is, the upper arm may be substituted for the lower arm in the rod 27 whereby the shorter arm-may be substituted for the longer arm in the axis of the unit. On the end of he upper arm of the. rod 29 there is secured a bracket 31 which may be adjusted on the rod 29 by means of the set crew 32. On the forward end ot the bra ket there is provided a screw 33, the head or" which is imprisoned in the channel 34 in any suitable manner, as for ex ample by means-of a cotter pin The hole 36in the bracket 31 is larger than the screw 33 in order that the screw may be able to adiust itself to the pull of the pinnacle nut 37, Fig. 1, which serves the purpose of clamping the canopy 38 in position on top of the globe 6. The support-for the retract-r 39,.Fig. 1, comprises a collar 40. to which he refractor may be secured by any suitable such as, for example, by screws 41. The collar is provided with a screw 42 which is in thread ed engagement with. an arm 43 and with respect to which latter the collar and the refractor may be adjusted by turning the screw 42. In any adjusted position the reiractor may be held by means of the locking nut 44. The rod 29 supports the arm 43 and for this purpose is provided with a pair of U-shaped cleats 45 and 46 which are rigidly fastened to rod 29. The cleat 45 is shown reversed with respect to the cleat 46, the U- portion '01 the cleat 45 being upside down and resting on the upper side of the rod 29, while the U-portion of the cleat 46 is on the underside of the rod 29. Arm 43 is bifurcated and the prongs 47 and 48 straddle the rod 29 and are supported by the flanges of the cleats 45 and 46 as shown. As indicated in Fig. 2, the flanges of the cleat 45 are on the underside of the prongs, while the flanges of the cleat 46 are on the upper side or" the prongs.

In order to lock the arm 43 in place on the r d 29, a cleat 49 is fixed on top of the pron- 48 and extends along the prong 48 to within proximity of a flange of the cleat 46. A U-shaped latch 50 is provided,which latch has one of its arms longer than the other, the longer arm being located on the underside of the prong 48 and pivoted thereto'by a pin 51 about an axis perpendicular to the face of the prong 48. prong 47 a cleat 52 is fixed in'order that the arm 43 may not be withdrawn from engage-- ment with the cleats 45 and 46 unless the arm 43 is raised as indicated in Fig. 3. lVhen the latch 50 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, and whenthe arm 43 raised as shown in Fig. 3, the arm 43 may be withdrawn and disengaged from the cleats 45 and 46 and from the rod 29. On the other hand, after it is withdrawn the arm '43 may be readily restored in engagement with the cleats 45 and 46 and made to assume a position such that shown in Fig. 2, after which the latch 50 may be rotated about its axis to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus making it imposs ble to withdraw the arm 43.

It will be seen,thereiore, that the structure of Fig. 2 comprises adjustable elements as follows:

(0;) The bracket 15 along the bars 21 tor adjusting; the position of the light source;

(2')) The bracket 31 on the rod 29 for adjusting the position of the screw 33 and there fore the position of the pinnacle element 37, Fig. lywith respect to the casing and with respect to the globe and. canopy inserted between the casing and the pinnacle element. Bracket 31 may be removed from the upper arm and substituted on the lower arm when the rod 29 is reversed.

(c) The rod 29 in the tube 2'? for accommodating: globes of different heights and also for adjusting: the position of the refractor 39 with respect to the lignt source and with respect to the globe;

On the underside of the (0?) The tube27 in the tube 26for the same purpose as (0) and to permit of the tube 27 and rod 29 being turned through an angle of 180 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to move the refractor away from the axis of the lighting unit to a position behind the tube 26 when the lighting unit is being relamped;

(e) The screw 42 in the arm 43 for adjusting the position of the refractor with respect to the light source.

When the various elements are adjusted to the proper positions, the globe is slipped over the structure and allowed to rest on the casing 2 of the base, as shown in Fig. 1. The canopy 38 is then placed over the globe with the screw 33 projecting through the opening inthe top of the canopy. The pinnacle element 37 is then screwed into position as shown in Fig. 1, therebyclamping the globe and the canopy in position.

It will be seen therefore that I provide a new and improved device in the form of an adjustable globe and canopy holder, an adjustable-rel'ractor holder and an adjustable lamp and socket holder, which is adapted to be used in connection with lighting units of different sizes in which elements of different sizes are used. It will be seen, further. more, that one of the novel features of the structure is that the refractor support may be readily removed from the structure, and reversed with respect to the support.

By making the bracket 15 adjustable the lamp 10 may be adjusted with respect to the base and to the globe. The rod 27 ispro vided with the collar 28 to enable the refractor to be rotated out of the way when the lamp is to beremoved from itssocket. The notches in the collar on the upper end of tube 26 indicate the proper operating and trimming positions of the refractor and enable the refractor to be moved readily to either position without any effort since,:when the res fractor arrives at the proper position, the teeth on the collar 28 drop into the notches in the collar on the upper end of tube 26. The lower limit of the tube 26 is determined by the shape of the lower part of the globe used. In some instances the globe curves immediately under the lower end of the tube thus making it impossible to allow the tube 27 or the rod 29 to project below the end of the tube 26 without danger of breaking the globe. The telescoped relation of the elements 26, 27 and 29 is necessary to accommodate all of the sizes of globes that are contemplated. The upper arm of the rod 29 is made longer than the lower arm of this rod in order that the largesttype of globe may be accommodated. In order to accommodate such a globe the canopy must be raised to its maximum height. This may be done by reversing the arm 29 and substituting the longer arm thereofin the tube 27. In order to enable this to be done the bracket 31 is removed from the longer arm and substituted on the end of the shorter arm after reversal. The rod 29 having been reversed may then be raised to a maximunr point and locked there by the nut 80. Before the arm 29 is reversed, the arm 43 that supportsthe refractor is removed from the cleats 45 and 46. After the reversal of the arm 29 the cleats 45 and 46 change relative positions with respect to the axis of the unit. Inasmuch as these cleats are duplicates of each other and are located on opposite sides of the rod the arm 43 may then be restored in engagement with the rod as indicated in Fig. 2. After the lamp and the canopy supports are adjusted as indicated, the refractor support 40 is then adjusted through the medium of the screw 42 to its proper position with respect to the lamp.

By means of the invention, I am able to substituteone standard supporting structure for a large variety of supporting structures corresponding to a large variety of globes, canopies and lamps, since the structure of the invention may be readily adjusted and adapted to any one of the various types of units for which it has been necessary heretofore to maintain a large stock of parts'that were not interchangeable.

I wish it understood that while I have electan arm provided with a pair of spaced transverse cleats having laterally extending flanges, the flanges of one of the cleats being flush with the top surface of the arm and the flanges of the other ofsaid cleats being flush With the bottom surface of the arm. a holder for the refractor having a bifurcated end portion, said arm being received between the furcations ofsaid holder whereby the flanges of one of the cleats rest on the top surface of said furcations and the flanges of the other of the cleats rest against the bottom surface of the furcations, means for securing said arm to said holder, and meanscarried by the holder and abutting said flanges to prevent relative lateral movement between the arm and the holder when said'members are secured together.

2. In alighting unit comprising globe, canopy and refractor elements, a structure for holding said elements, abase for the unit provided with means for receiving and supporting globes of different sizes, adj ustable means for holding said canopies and their corresponding globes in place over said base, adjustable means for supporting a refractor in various positions along the axis of the'unit, all of said adjustable means being assembled to form one structure, said adjustable means for holding the canopies and'their globes comprising a. support located to-one side of the axis of the lighting unit, said last adjustable means comprising also an element with parallel arms of unequal length each located on opposite sides with respect to an axis transverse'to the longitudinal axes of said arms whereby one of said arms may be secured to said support while the other arm is located adjacent to the axisof the lighting unit and whereby the arms may be reversed in their location, said-arms being connected by a third arm, said third arm having means for supporting said adjustable means for the refractor, said last means comprising elements on opposite sides of the third arm whereby when the said element with the third arm is reversed the positions of therefractor may be maintained along the axis of the lighting unit unreversed.

3. In a lighting unit comprising globe, canopy and refractor elements, a structure for holding said elements, a base for the unit provided with means for receiving and supporting globes of diflerent sizes, adjustable means for holding said canopies and their corresponding globes in place over said base, adjustable means for supporting a refractor in various positions along the axis of the unit, all of said adjustable means being assembled to form one structure, said adjustable means for holding the canopies and their globes comprising a support located to one side of the axis of the lighting unit, said last adjustable means comprising also an element with parallel arms of unequal length each located on opposite sides with respect to an axis transverse to the longitudinal. axes of said arms whereby one of said arms may be secured to said support whilethe other arm is located adjacent to the axis of the lighting unit and whereby the arms may be reversed in their location, said arms being connected by a third arm, said third arm having means for supporting said adjustable means for the refractor, said last means comprising a reversible support whereby when the said element with the third arm is reversed the positions of the refractor may be maintained unreversed along the axis of the lighting unit.

4. In a lighting unit comprising globe, canopy and refractor elements, a structure for holding said elements, a base for theunit provided with means for receiving and supporting globes of different sizes, adjustable means for holding said canopies and their corresponding globes in place over said base, ad-

justable means for supporting a're'fractor in to form one structure, said adjustable means for holding the canopies and their globes comprising a support located to one side of the axis of the lighting unit, said last adj ustable means comprising also an element with parallel arms of unequal length each located on opposite sides with respect to an axis transverse to the longitudinal axes of said arms whereby one of said arms may be secured tosaid support while the other arm is located adjacent to the axis of the lighting unit and whereby the arms may be reversed in their location, said arms being connected by a third arm, said third arm having means for supporting said adjustable means for the refractor, said last means comprising a reversible support whereby when the said element with the third arm is reversed the positions of the refractor may be maintained unreversed along the axis of the lighting unit, said reversible support comprising a cleats separated along said third arm, and a bifurcated element for engaging said cleats.

5. In a lighting unit comprising globe, canopy and refractor elements, a structure for holding said elements, a base for the unit provided with means for receiving and supporting globes of different sizes, adjustable means for holding said canopies and their corresponding globes in place over said base, adjustable means for supporting a refractor in various positions along the axis of the unit, all of said adjustable means being assembled to form one structure, said adjustable means for holding the canopies and their globes comprising a support located to one side of the axis of the lighting unit, said last adjustable means comprising. also an element with parallel arms ofunequal length each located on opposite sides with respect pair of ito to an axis transverse to the longitudinal axes r of said arms whereby one of said arms may be secured to said support while the other arm is located adjacent to the axis of the lighting unit and whereby the arms may be reversed in their location, said arms being third arm, a bifurcated element for engaging said cleats, and means for latching the bifurcated element to one of said cleats.

6. In a lighting unit comprising a globe, a canopy and a lamp socket, a unitary supporting structure comprising a base having suepped surfaces for receiving globes of different diameters, a frame carried by said base, a lamp socket support vertically adjustable on said frame, a vertically adjustable tube carried by said frame, and a vertically iio adjustable canopy support carried in said tube for clamping a canopy on a globe.

7. In a lighting unit comprising a globe, a canopy, a lamp socket and a refractor, a unitary supporting structure comprising a base having a surface for supporting a globe, a vertically adjustable lamp socket support carried by the base, a Vertically adjustable canopy support carried by the base, said canopy support comprising a member having a horizontally extending portion, and a vertically adjustable refractor support carried by said horizontally extending portion.

8. In a lighting unit comprising a globe, a canopy, alamp socket and a refractor, a unitary supporting structure comprising a base having a surface for supporting a globe, a vertically extending frame carried by the base, a vertically adjustable lamp socket support on the frame, a vertically extending tube carried by said frame, a reversible adjustable rod in said tube for supporting a canopy, a horizontally adjustable arm carried by said rod between its ends, and a vertically adjustable refractor support on said arm.

9. In a lighting unit comprising a globe, a canopy and a refractor, a unitary supporting structure comprising a base having stepped surfaces for supporting globes of diiferent diameters, a vertically adjustable canopy support for clamping a canopy on a globe to hold the globe on its seat, a horizontally adjustable arm carried by the canopy support, and a refractor support carried by said arm.

10. In a lighting unit, a unitary supporting structure comprising a base having surfaces for supporting globes of-diiferent diameters, a vertically adjustable tube carried by said support, a reversible rod adjustable in said tube, said rod having a horizontally ex tending section, and an adjustable refractor support carried by said section.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of October, 1929.

JAMES A. ONEIL. 

